Tua Tagovailoa sports Buckeyes hoodie after losing bet on brother's Maryland-Ohio State game
On paper, the Ohio State-Maryland game had little impact on Tua Tagovailoa, specifically. But it still didn’t stop the Dolphins quarterback from placing a bet with two ex-Buckeye teammates.
The game that unfolded this past Saturday in Columbus, Ohio at The Shoe was all about family honor. Tua’s younger brother Taulia Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback for the Terrapins. And gulp, Maryland lost 37-17 to fourth-ranked Ohio State. The game was tied at halftime, but being close doesn’t cut it when it comes to a friendly locker room bragging rights.
That’s why Tua Tagovailoa showed up at his weekly press conference wearing an Ohio State hoodie. As you can see in the video clip below, the hoodie is a fashionable one with one black and one white sleeve. The body of it is scarlet with a black hood.
Tua Tagovailoa forgot (momentarily) that his Tide did play
Reporters did notice his attire. Plus, it probably wasn’t hoodie weather in Miami Gardens. Tagovailoa explained that he made the wager with Jerome Baker and Eli Apple. “Boooo,” Tua says.
But why not place a bet on Alabama? “Bama didn’t play, my brother played,” Tua explained. “He plays for Maryland.”
Here’s where we step in to point out the Crimson Tide played Texas A&M last Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station. The Tide won, 26-20. Maybe rookie running back De’Von Achane, a former Aggie star, didn’t feel comfortable making a friendly wager with his QB.
Plus, did you know that Taulia initially followed his brother to Alabama? He spent 2019 with the Crimson Tide as his big brother’s backup.
A reporter asked if Apple and Baker gave him points. “No, they didn’t give me points. I think they thought highly of Maryland’s team.”
And Tua says if kid brother Taulia Tagovailoa had pulled off the Buckeyes upset, then Apple and Baker would’ve worn a Maryland sweatshirt. Another reporter observed that the two got off lightly in the bet, given Tua had to wear his shirt at a press conference. Tua laughed. “I mean yeah, I’m probably with you there.” (After all, the quarterback is on pace to break Peyton Manning‘s NFL passing record. Tua has everyone’s attention right now.)
Then Tagovailoa admitted this all might be a team-building exercise. “Yeah, but sometimes that’s how you win your team over guys. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do, you know?”